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The child abuse scandals are one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Catholic Church. With Pope Francis at the helm since 2013 and pledging ‘zero tolerance’, some believe that change is on the way.
In Behind the Altar British historian John Dickie discovers that there are still problems. What is slowing down the cleanup that Pope Francis promised? The documentary reveals that even when the church is aware of the abuse, 75% of all abusers remain as priests. We learn that bishops are not yet obliged to report pedophiles to the police and some abusers are merely moved – shuffled from one diocese to another. Dickie travels from Italy to France, to the United States and to the Pope’s homeland, Argentina. He looks back at what has been done by the last three Popes, meets experts and survivors, magistrates and clergy members. He discovers new cases and exposes how, for the Church, the child abuse issue is far more deeply rooted than ever imagined.
